Way too early 2022 Packers Mock Draft

With the 2021 NFL Draft in the rearview mirror, here is a waaaaaaay too early 2022 Packers mock draft.

1. DeMarvin Leal, DL, Texas A&M

The Packers waited until the fifth round to take a defensive lineman during the 2021 draft. Kenny Clark desperately needs a running mate. I have confidence either draft pick T.J. Slaton or an undrafted free agent can become a good player for the Packers. However, until that happens, I still think the defensive line is a big need for the Green & Gold. Everything starts up front and if the Packers want to become the defense they want to be, the defensive line needs to step up.

2. Jadon Haselwood, WR, Oklahoma

I have mentioned it before, but as of now, the Packers have zero wide receivers signed beyond this season. Obviously they just drafted Amari Rodgers, but I wonder if he will play the role of Tyler Ervin, as opposed to the Randall Cobb role. Davante Adams and Allen Lazard will likely be back, but with the uncertainty surrounding Aaron Rodgers, I wonder if Adams will be eager to re-sign. Ultimately, I think he will because money is money, but I wonder if MVS, Funchess and EQ will be brought back. They could use another receiver.

3. Jake Ferguson, TE, Wisconsin

The Packers have used multiple picks on tight ends recently with Josiah Deguara and Jace Sternberger. Deguara is a jack-of-all-trades tight end who will play the H-back quite a bit and Sternberger hasn’t panned out yet. Robert Tonyan is a free agent in 2022 and he could look to leave if 12 isn’t back. Marcedes Lewis is most likely gone without Rodgers. Ferguson is a tremendous receiver out at tight end and would look even better if the quarterback position wasn’t so choppy. However, in his first game with Graham Mertz in 2020, he caught three touchdowns. I am sure Jake would not mind staying in his home state.

4. Vederian Lowe, OT, Illinois

Green Bay took three offensive linemen in the 2020 draft, and three more in the 2021 draft. They are committed to making the offensive line one of the best units in the NFL (if it isn’t already). Billy Turner likely has one or two more seasons with the Packers. I don’t know if Royce Newman is looked at as the long-term answer at right tackle. If he isn’t, then they will have to look in the draft for that player.

5. Tomon Fox, EDGE, North Carolina

I am kind of surprised Green Bay did not draft an EDGE rusher in the 2021 draft. I guess the board did not fall that way. Preston Smith will have played his last down with the Packers and he will not be brought back in 2022 and there is a possibility Z is gone as well. I think they’ll extend him, but it is not a foregone conclusion. Even if he is brought back, you need more pass rushers than just Z and Gary. Fox will be at North Carolina for a sixth year, so he may not be drafted by the Green & Gold due to his age. He has 13.5 sacks in his last two seasons, so he is a productive pass rusher.

6. Bryce Thompson, CB, Tennessee

The Packers like to draft cornerbacks. They drafted a pair in this past draft, including one with their top pick. It is the fourth time in the past five drafts that they have grabbed a cornerback at some point. Kevin King, Josh Jackson and Chandon Sullivan are all free agents after 2021 and no one knows if they will be re-signed. A cornerback could be drafted higher if I am being honest.

7. Brad Hawkins, S, Michigan

Adrian Amos’ contract is coming up shortly, and this pick is just depth. I like Vernon Scott, but I could still see them taking a safety if they like a guy on the board.

Final Packers Mock Draft 4/29

It is finally here. Draft day! Here is my final Packers mock draft...

1. Sam Cosmi, OT, Texas (previous: Christian Barmore)

Green Bay has David Bakhtiari, but they need a right tackle of the future with Rick Wagner being released. They also would prefer someone who can play immediately due to DBak’s injury, which will force him to miss the first little bit of the season. Why did the Packers and Chiefs lose to Tampa Bay? Offensive line play. Seeing the struggles of offensive lines around the league, you can never have too many quality offensive lineman. He fits all the Packers athletic thresholds and it would not surprise me if they take Cosmi in the first.

2. Paulson Adebo, CB, Stanford (previous: Amon-Ra St. Brown)

Kevin King was just re-signed to a one-year deal. Most Packers fans will never forgive KK for his giant dump he laid on Lambeau Field in the NFC Championship game. King will likely start and Chandon Sullivan, who also got dominated in the NFC Championship, will start in the slot. Needless to say, the Packers need to put more talent in the position outside of Jaire Alexander. I don’t know if the team wants two short corners starting on the outside, so I don’t know if they’d go for an Asante Samuel, Jr., even thought he is a beast. Adebo fits all the athletic thresholds the Packers like. Adebo looks like he’d be a Packers pick.

3. Payton Turner, EDGE, Houston (previous: Turner)

When you list the Packers needs, EDGE is not one that immediately pops to mind. After all, they have a tremendous 1-3 with the Smiths and Rashan Gary. However, they restructured Preston’s deal where they will be able to get out from his deal at the end of the season and Z will either be extended or gone as well. I anticipate them extending him, but the Packers need more than two pass rushers in order to give your starters a breather. The Packers love their athletic guys and Turner certainly is that. His RAS score is super high at 9.68/10 and had great explosion and agility scores. The productivity was there as well in 2020, recording five sacks in five games.

4a. Pete Warner, ILB, Ohio State (previous: Benjamin St.-Juste)

I think the Packers like both Khrys Barnes and Kamal Martin, but I do think they could take an ILB. Werner would be a solid pick and have him fight Barnes and Martin for a starting role.

4b. Shaun Wade, S, Ohio State (previous: Dan Moore)

The safety position will be more involved in this new defense. I don’t think Wade would be a good starter as a boundary cornerback, but as a nickel corner, he’d be a good pick in the early third day. Chandon Sullivan struggled in the NFC Championship game, so an upgrade is needed there too. A trio of Jaire, Adebo and Wade with King and King will be big. Wade could be a really solid player in the Raven Greene-type role.

5a. Johnathan Marshall, DL, Arkansas (previous: Robert Rochell)

The Packers have one glaring weakness on this team, which is the defensive line. Their run defense has improved a little bit as the season has gone along, but still not good. Green Bay re-signed Kenny Clark just before the season, but while Kingsley Keke has made a jump, Tyler Lancaster and Dean Lowry are not starting caliber players. They are good enough to have on the roster, but I don’t want them receiving a majority of the snaps. Keke needs to be more consistent and they need another starter. Regardless, you can never have enough strong defensive linemen, as the Eagles showed during their Super Bowl season of 2017. Marshall is an athletic freak who had an insane RAS score. If they could land him in the fifth, it’d be a really nice pick.

5b. Ihmir Smith-Marsette, WR, Iowa (previous: Ta'Quan Graham)

The Packers have wanted to upgrade the position, but they have their price. Last season, they tried to trade for Robbie Anderson. During the 2020 draft, they tried to trade up in the second for a receiver, but did not have a fourth round pick due to the Jordan Love trade. Once their target was drafted, they stopped trying. I still am guessing their target was Chase Claypool. Finally, they tried to sign Emmanuel Sanders as a free agent last offseason, but he opted for New Orleans. He would rather play in a big city in warmer weather. So the Packers have tried to upgrade the wide receiver position. Green Bay has no receivers under contract for 2022 and while they will very like re-sign Adams and Lazard, Smith-Marsette makes a lot of sense. He also would help in a big way in the return game. Green Bay’s special teams are.....well, not special. ISM could help change that in a huge way.

6a. Javian Hawkins, RB, Louisville (previous: Charles Snowden)

Even with the Packers re-signing Aaron Jones, the Packers will likely draft a running back on day three because the team likes to have three capable running backs. Hawkins could be a sleeper at running back who is a one cut and go back. He is an explosive running back who can hit a home run at any time.

6b. Darius Stills, DL, West Virginia (previous: Michael Strachan)

More depth/competition for a position that desperately needs a makeover outside of Kenny Clark. He had a high RAS score, which is what the Packers like.

7. Michael Strachan, WR, Charleston (previous: Avery Williams)

Like I mentioned before, the Packers don’t have any receivers signed past this season. While 17 and 13 will likely be back, the rest are unknowns. Strachan would come in and fight EQ and others for a roster spot.

Final Mock Draft

1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson

2. New York Jets: Zach Wilson, QB, BYU

3. San Francisco 49ers: Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State

4. Atlanta Falcons: Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida

5. Cincinnati Bengals: Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon

6. Miami Dolphins: Ja'Marr Chase, WR, LSU

7. Detroit Lions: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama

8. New England Patriots (from Carolina): Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State

9. Denver Broncos: Patrick Surtain, CB, Alabama

10. Dallas Cowboys: Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina

11. New York Giants: Kwity Paye, EDGE, Michigan

12. Philadelphia Eagles: Devonta Smith, WR, Alabama

13. Los Angeles Chargers: Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern

14. Minnesota Vikings: Alijah Vera-Tucker, OL, USC

15. Carolina Panthers (from New England): Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech

16. Arizona Cardinals: Greg Newsome, CB, Northwestern

17. Las Vegas Raiders: Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State

18. Miami Dolphins: Teven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State

19. Washington Football Team: Mac Jones, QB, Alabama

20. Chicago Bears: Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech

21. Indianapolis Colts: Azeez Ojulari, EDGE, Georgia

22. Tennessee Titans: Christian Barmore, DL, Alabama

23. New York Jets: Jaelan Phillips, EDGE, Miami

24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Najee Harris, RB, Alabama

25. Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevon Moehrig, S, TCU

26. Cleveland Browns: Jeremiah Owusu-Karamoah, LB, Notre Dame

27. Baltimore Ravens: Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota

28. New Orleans Saints: Elijah Moore, WR, Ole Miss

29. Green Bay Packers: Sam Cosmi, OT, Texas

30. Buffalo Bills: Gregory Rousseau, EDGE, Miami

31. Baltimore Ravens (from Kansas City): Joe Tryon, EDGE, Washington

32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Kadarius Toney, WR, Florida

Packers Mock Draft 4/24

It has been awhile since I did one of these....and I don’t think I have done one in the offseason, which is when things change. So....here is my first offseason Packers mock draft. I’ll probably put my final version out on Wednesday or Thursday.

1. Christian Barmore, DL, Alabama (previous: Jaycee Horn)

The Packers have one glaring weakness on this team, which is the defensive line. Their run defense has improved a little bit as the season has gone along, but still not good. Green Bay re-signed Kenny Clark just before the season, but while Kingsley Keke has made a jump, Tyler Lancaster and Dean Lowry are not starting caliber players. They are good enough to have on the roster, but I don’t want them receiving a majority of the snaps. Keke needs to be more consistent and they need another starter. Regardless, you can never have enough strong defensive linemen, as the Eagles showed during their Super Bowl season of 2017. Alabama is known for churning out quality defensive linemen, so I hope Barmore is able to help out Kenny Clark. A defensive line of Clark, Barmore and Keke is a lot more formidable.

2. Amon-Ra St. Brown, WR, USC (previous: Jaylen Twyman)

The Packers have wanted to upgrade the position, but they have their price. Last season, they tried to trade for Robbie Anderson. During the 2020 draft, they tried to trade up in the second for a receiver, but did not have a fourth round pick due to the Jordan Love trade. Once their target was drafted, they stopped trying. I still am guessing their target was Chase Claypool. Finally, they tried to sign Emmanuel Sanders as a free agent last offseason, but he opted for New Orleans. He would rather play in a big city in warmer weather. So the Packers have tried to upgrade the wide receiver position. If the Packers take a receiver, it would probably be early because I just don’t see late round guys coming in and beating out MVS or EQ for significant playing time. St. Brown is interesting because he would be competing for playing time with his brother, so I don’t know if the Packers want that if they have to cut one of them down the road. However, other teams have done that successfully, such as New England with the McCourty twins, and Seattle with the Griffins. As for Amon-Ra the player, he is a big bodied guy who ran a 4.5 40-yard dash, which is fine. He plays faster than he is. Also, the Packers love their blocking wideouts. They already have one of the best in the game in Allen Lazard, but St. Brown is a great blocker and will be a better receiver than the former Iowa State product. One more thing that is over-looked: the Packers have zero wide receivers signed for the 2022 season. I expect Davante Adams and Lazard to be re-signed, but still, they need more receivers for the future.

3. Payton Turner, EDGE, Houston (previous: Sage Surratt, WR, Wake Forest)

When you list the Packers needs, EDGE is not one that immediately pops to mind. After all, they have a tremendous 1-3 with the Smiths and Rashan Gary. However, they restructured Preston’s deal where they will be able to get out from his deal at the end of the season and Z will either be extended or gone as well. I anticipate them extending him, but the Packers need more than two pass rushers in order to give your starters a breather. The Packers love their athletic guys and Turner certainly is that. His RAS score is super high at 9.68/10 and had great explosion and agility scores. The productivity was there as well in 2020, recording five sacks in five games.

4a. Benjamin St.-Juste, CB, Minnesota (previous: Josh Ball)

Kevin King was just re-signed to a one-year deal. Most Packers fans will never forgive KK for his giant dump he laid on Lambeau Field in the NFC Championship game. King will likely start and Chandon Sullivan, who also got dominated in the NFC Championship, will start in the slot. Needless to say, the Packers need to put more talent in the position outside of Jaire Alexander. I don’t know if the team wants two short corners starting on the outside, so I don’t know if they’d go for an Asante Samuel, Jr., even thought he is a beast. He is another big cornerback, like King. He is a good enough athlete, especially for a man his size, as his RAS score is 8.12/10. Green Bay certainly likes players 8.00+.

4b. Dan Moore, OT, Texas A&M (previous: N/A)

Green Bay loves taking linemen on day three, and a lot of times, they turn out to be solid players. The Packers took three interior linemen last season and Jon Runyan, Jr. has turned out to be a find. Green Bay has David Bakhtiari, but they need a right tackle of the future with Rick Wagner being released. They also would prefer someone who can play immediately due to DBak’s injury, which will force him to miss the first little bit of the season. Seeing the struggles of offensive lines around the league, you can never have too many quality offensive lineman. Moore had a tremendous RAS score of 9.08. His explosion and 3-cone scores are tremendous. The offensive tackle class is loaded, so they may be able to wait until early day three to address the position, but they very easily could take an OT earlier.

5a. Robert Rochell, CB, Central Arkansas (previous: Michael Carter)

This is an outstanding cornerback class, not to mention it is deep. Yes, I admit, it would be cool to draft a guy from a Southland Conference school. Like I said above, they need talent at the position. King, Josh Jackson and Chandon Sullivan are all on the last year of their contracts, and without major improvement, they might all not be back. The 5-11 cornerback is super athletic and has great ball skills having been recruited by the Bears as a wide receiver. He has the potential to be a big-time player at the next level.

5b. Ta'Quan Graham, DL, Texas (previous: N/A)

This is just a depth pick. At this point in the draft, it is just darts at a dart board. Kenny Clark needs help. Taking multiple players could maybe help them hit on one. If he can come in and take over for a Tyler Landcaster, all the better.

6a. Elijah Mitchell, RB, UL Lafayette (previous: Charles Snowden)

Even with the Packers re-signing Aaron Jones, the Packers will likely draft a running back on day three because the team likes to have three capable running backs. Mitchell could be a sleeper at running back who is a one cut and go back. He is an explosive running back who can hit a home run at any time.

6b. Michael Strachan, WR, Charleston (previous: N/A)

Like I mentioned before, the Packers don’t have any receivers signed past this season. While 17 and 13 will likely be back, the rest are unknowns. Strachan would come in and fight EQ and others for a roster spot.

7. Avery Williams, CB, Boise State (previous: Paddy Fisher)

The Packers desperately need a return man, and not only is Williams a solid cornerback, he is a fantastic return man. Right now, Green Bay has no one on the team who is a natural return man. They can’t survive another pathetic special teams like they had in 2020. Avery would be a great choice as a return man.

Mock Draft 4/17

 1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson

2. New York Jets: Zach Wilson, QB, BYU

3. San Francisco 49ers: Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State

4. Atlanta Falcons: Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida

5. Cincinnati Bengals: Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon

6. Miami Dolphins: Ja'Marr Chase, WR, LSU

7. Detroit Lions: DeVonta Smith, WR, Alabama

8. Carolina Panthers: Rashawn Slater, OT, Northwestern

9. Denver Broncos: Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State

10. Dallas Cowboys: Patrick Surtain, CB, Alabama

11. New York Giants: Micah Parsons, LB, Penn State

12. Philadelphia Eagles: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama

13. Los Angeles Chargers: Alijah Vera-Tucker, OL, USC

14. Minnesota Vikings: Kwity Paye, EDGE, Michigan

15. New England Patriots: Mac Jones, QB, Alabama

16. Arizona Cardinals: Greg Newsome, CB, Northwestern

17. Las Vegas Raiders: Gregory Rousseau, EDGE, Miami

18. Miami Dolphins: Jaelan Phillips, EDGE, Miami

19. Washington Football Team: Christian Darrisaw, OT, Virginia Tech

20. Chicago Bears: Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina

21. Indianapolis Colts: Taven Jenkins, OT, Oklahoma State

22. Tennessee Titans: Azeez Ojulari, EDGE, Georgia

23. New York Jets: Jayson Oweh, EDGE, Penn State

24. Pittsburgh Steelers: Sam Cosmi, OT, Texas

25. Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevon Moehrig, S, TCU

26. Cleveland Browns: Jeremiah Owusu-Karamoah, LB, Notre Dame

27. Baltimore Ravens: Joseph Ossai, EDGE, Texas

28. New Orleans Saints: Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa

29. Green Bay Packers: Christian Barmore, DL, Alabama

30. Buffalo Bills: Tyson Campbell, CB, Georgia

31. Kansas City Chiefs: Jalen Mayfield, OT, Michigan

32. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Levi Onwuzurike, DT, Washington

Post-week 16 NFL mock draft

1. Jacksonville Jaguars: Trevor Lawrence, QB, Clemson

2. New York Jets: Penei Sewell, OT, Oregon

3. Miami Dolphins (from Houston): Ja'Marr Chase, WR, LSU

4. Atlanta Falcons: Kwity Paye, EDGE, Michigan

5. Cincinnati Bengals: Micah Parsons, ILB, Penn State

6. Philadelphia Eagles: Devonta Smith, WR, Alabama

7. Detroit Lions: Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State

8. New York Giants: Rashawn Slater, OL, Northwestern

9. Carolina Panthers: Kyle Pitts, TE, Florida

10. Denver Broncos: Zach Wilson, QB, BYU

11. Dallas Cowboys: Caleb Farley, CB, Virginia Tech

12. Los Angeles Chargers: Christian Darrisaw, OL, Virginia Tech

13. Minnesota Vikings: Wyatt Davis, OL, Ohio State

14. New England Patriots: Jaylen Waddle, WR, Alabama

15. San Francisco 49ers: Patrick Surtain, Jr., CB, Alabama

16. Las Vegas Raiders: Gregory Rousseau, EDGE, Miami

17. Arizona Cardinals: Eric Stokes, CB, Georgia

18. Indianapolis Colts: Jeremiah Owusu-Koramoah, LB, Notre Dame

19. Washington Football Team: Trey Lance, QB, North Dakota State

20. Chicago Bears: Alex Leatherwood, OT, Alabama

21. Jacksonville Jaguars (from LA Rams): Alijah Vera-Tucker, OL, USC

22. Cleveland Browns: Azeez Ojulari, EDGE, Georgia

23. Miami Dolphins: Zaven Collins, LB, Tulsa

24. Baltimore Ravens: Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota

25. Tennessee Titans: Jayson Oweh, EDGE, Penn State

26. Tampa Bay Buccaneers: Carlos Basham, DL, Wake Forest

27. New York Jets (from Seattle): Elijah Moore, WR, Ole Miss

28. Pittsburgh Steelers: Mac Jones, QB, Alabama

29. New Orleans Saints: Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue

30. Buffalo Bills: Joseph Ossai, EDGE, Texas

31. Green Bay Packers: Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina

32. Kansas City Chiefs: Derion Kendrick, CB, Clemson

Post-Week 16 Packers Mock Draft

1. Jaycee Horn, CB, South Carolina (previous: Christian Barmore)

Kevin King is also a free agent, and with all the money being thrown at extensions for cornerbacks this offseason, it makes it less and less likely King is brought back, especially since they will need to re-sign Jaire Alexander to a monster deal in a few years. The son of former New Orleans Saints star Joe Horn has been a fast riser this year with a great season in 2020. He played seven games and picked off two passes and finished with six passes defensed. He excels at man coverage, so he and Jaire could be a pair of shutdown corners. In his career, he made seven tackles for loss and three sacks. Josh Jackson as a backup boundary corner and Chandon Sullivan as the slot corner are both solid players, but you can never have too many at the position. This is also a great and deep CB class, so I wouldn’t mind a later pick at the position, too.

2. Jaylen Twyman, DL, Pittsburgh (previous: Amon-Ra St. Brown)

The Packers have one glaring weakness on this team, which is the defensive line. Their run defense has improved a little bit as the season has gone along, but still not good. Green Bay re-signed Kenny Clark just before the season, but while Kingsley Keke has made a jump, Tyler Lancaster and Dean Lowry are not starting caliber players. They are good enough to have on the roster, but I don’t want them receiving a majority of the snaps. Keke needs to be more consistent and they need another starter. Damon Harrison was a nice signing, but I doubt he is back in 2021. Regardless, you can never have enough strong defensive linemen, as the Eagles showed during their Super Bowl season of 2017. Twyman hails from the same university that gave us Aaron Donald. As a sophomore, he tallied 41 tackles, a team-high 12 tackles for loss and 10.5 sacks. Those numbers actually resemble the ones Donald put up during his sophomore season with the Panthers.

3. Sage Surratt, WR, Wake Forest (previous: Michael Carter)

The Packers have wanted to upgrade the position, but they have their price. Last season, they tried to trade for Robbie Anderson. During the 2020 draft, they tried to trade up in the second for a receiver, but did not have a fourth round pick due to the Jordan Love trade. Once their target was drafted, they stopped trying. I still am guessing their target was Chase Claypool. Finally, they tried to sign Emmanuel Sanders as a free agent this past offseason. He would rather play in a big city in warmer weather, so he signed with the Saints. So the Packers have tried to upgrade the wide receiver position. If the Packers take a receiver, it would probably be early because I just don’t see late round guys coming in and beating out MVS or EQ for significant playing time. Surratt opted out of this year, but had more than 1,000 yards in 2019 and 11 touchdowns. Has great size and ball skills and is a good route runner, which is what the Packers want.

4. Josh Ball, OT, Marshall (previous: Josh Jobe)

Green Bay loves taking linemen on day three, and a lot of times, they turn out to be solid players. The Packers took three interior linemen last season and Jon Runyan, Jr. has turned out to be a find. Green Bay has David Bakhtiari, who was re-signed, along with Rick Wagner, Billy Turner and even Elgton Jenkins can play tackle when asked. However, seeing the struggles of offensive lines around the league, you can never have too many quality offensive lineman. Ball is a mountain of a man, standing 6-8 and 309 pounds. With Bryan Bulaga gone, I think Green Bay will pick a day three offensive tackle to groom to take over in 2022.

5. Michael Carter, RB, North Carolina (previous: Drew Seers)

Both Aaron Jones and Jamaal Williams are free agents. If neither is brought back, that leaves just 2020 second round pick A.J. Dillon in the backfield. While Dillon made his mark in last week’s win over Tennessee, a Carter/Dillon duo would be great if Jones and Williams aren’t brought back. Carter had a game in which he ran for 308 yards and two touchdowns against No. 10 Miami. On the year, he has 1,245 yards and nine touchdowns, averaging eight yards per tote. He is small, but electric. Carter is also a real good receiver, catching at least 20 passes in each of his past three seasons. The Tar Heel has 267 yards receiving on 25 catches this season.

6. Charles Snowden, EDGE, Virginia (previous: Cordell Volson)

Preston Smith has not been great this year, especially considering the money he gets paid. Rashan Gary out-produces Preston when he is on the field. The Packers could use another pass rusher if Preston is cut loose. Regardless, if he comes back, you can always use more pass rushers. He is a solid run defender as well as can be a good coverage player. He has improved as a pass rusher and has room to improve even more.

7. Paddy Fisher, LB, Northwestern (previous: Big Kat Bryant)

I think they have something in last year’s fifth round pick Kamal Martin. However, Christian Kirksey has lost explosiveness due to his injuries, so they could use a guy to play with Martin and make the defense play up to its capabilities. Khrys Barnes is just a dude and Oren Burks is basically just a special teams player at this point. Paddy Fisher has a higher floor, but a lower ceiling, which is why he lasts until the seventh.